Ecclesiastes /// Bug Olsen

 

    Death wins in the end- it’s a common theme throughout these poems. Both of these writers discuss how people have become so focused on the pointless rat race of life that they have lost all empathy towards others. This is especially evident in Auden’s poems, particularly through the representation in “Musée des Beaux Arts” when people ignore Icarus falling from the sky. People have lost all feelings for each other, but we all march slowly onward to our unavoidable fate of death. All the work, relationships, and everything we do in between is meaningless.

            The bureaucracy and civilization are portrayed in a negative light throughout both series of poems and is contrasted with positive nature imagery. Civilization and industrialization are leading us closer and closer to our deaths, making it easier for us to drift apart and become immune to the sorrows that relate us as humans through escapes of entertainment and work. According to these poets, it would be better to return to a world more focused on nature and feelings so that humans could relate to each other.

            Not only are jobs and relationships meaningless because of death, so too is religion (according to these poets). No god truly exists, and therefor religion is a construct meant to take humanity’s mind off of the weight of nothingness after death and to provide some sort of relief from the pain of life. Whether or not this fact consumes you, however, is determined by what you decide to find your purpose in. For many, it is their work and relationships, but once again this leads to a cycle of pointlessness without any hope after the impending doom of death.

 Much like the book of Ecclesiastes, these poets show how everything is meaningless-they are certainly not the first to discuss the futility of life. Writing during such a tumultuous time explains their background for these poems, but unlike previous authors, including the writer of Ecclesiastes, they have no hope in a savior and must make their own purpose, which makes their writing and the way they express this extremely interesting in my opinion. All of these points are found from a combination of poems by both authors, and while I did not source exactly where each thought came from, these were my general takeaways from the poems we read.

I commented on Abigale Bell’s and Emily Thullesen’s posts.

Comments

  1. Abigale BellFebruary 1, 2022 at 9:08 AM

    I've noticed a trend in the reading we've had so far this semester. There is a constant searching for meaning in life; for purpose. I love that you brought up Ecclesiastes! I had some of the same thoughts while reading these poems. I am constantly reminded by these themes of my hope in Jesus. Great post!

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